Characteristics Growth and Adaptability of Dwarf-odot Elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Mott) Grown in Gorontalo at Established Year

Abstract

Muhammad Mukhtar.

The study was carried out at the Experimental field of Agricultural Faculty, Gorontalo State University from the rainy season (November 2018 – May 2019) to dry season (June – October 2019). The examined variety was dwarf–odot elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Mott). The first experiment was planting density. The planting density are high density (16 plants/m2, 25 cm × 25 cm of spacing), medium density (8 plants/m2, 50 cm × 25 cm), and low density (4 plants/m2, 50 cm × 50 cm). The second experiment was the implementation of inorganic fertilizer, namely single inorganic and compound inorganic fertilizers. Plant spacing density from high density to low density has a significantly effected (P> 0.05) on the growth characters of dwarf-odot elephantgrass were tiller number (TN), mean tiller dry matter weight (MTW) and total dry matter weight (TDMW), herbage dry matter yield (HDMY) and percentage leaf blade (PLB). The level of inorganic fertilizer, both single and compound fertilizer, showed a very significantly effected (P> 0.01) on the character of growth and production of dwarf-odot elephantgrass biomass. Single NPK level yields higher than compound NPK level on plant height (PH) growth, TN, HDMY and PLB. PH, TN, HDMY and PLB increased with the increase in levels of fertilizer dosage in both single and compound fertilizers. Achievement of HDMY per one TN dwarf-odot elephantgrass were 50%, 60% and 69% for treatment without fertilizer, compound fertilizer and single fertilizer, respectively.